EP0696509B1 - Frankiermaschine mit einem Tintenstrahldruckkopf - Google Patents

Frankiermaschine mit einem Tintenstrahldruckkopf Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0696509B1
EP0696509B1 EP95401566A EP95401566A EP0696509B1 EP 0696509 B1 EP0696509 B1 EP 0696509B1 EP 95401566 A EP95401566 A EP 95401566A EP 95401566 A EP95401566 A EP 95401566A EP 0696509 B1 EP0696509 B1 EP 0696509B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
nozzles
row
control means
print head
print
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95401566A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0696509A1 (de
Inventor
Michel Fajour
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Quadient Technologies France SA
Original Assignee
Neopost Technologies SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Neopost Technologies SA filed Critical Neopost Technologies SA
Publication of EP0696509A1 publication Critical patent/EP0696509A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0696509B1 publication Critical patent/EP0696509B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16517—Cleaning of print head nozzles
    • B41J2/1652—Cleaning of print head nozzles by driving a fluid through the nozzles to the outside thereof, e.g. by applying pressure to the inside or vacuum at the outside of the print head
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00516—Details of printing apparatus
    • G07B2017/00524—Printheads
    • G07B2017/00532—Inkjet
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00516—Details of printing apparatus
    • G07B2017/00556—Ensuring quality of print

Definitions

  • the invention relates generally to field of postage machines which are now widely used in shipping offices of corporate mail.
  • It relates more particularly to a machine franking comprising a jet print head ink.
  • An inkjet print head of a machine postage includes a large number of items mechanical or electronic in addition to the specific component performing inkjet printing.
  • a component is usually in the form of a small box in which are mounted a plurality of nozzles forming a row of nozzles. These nozzles are supplied with ink by a micro pump drawing ink from an ink tank. They are controlled by an electronic circuit which excites them individually to make them eject ink droplets.
  • the Patent application EP 0 416 849 shows such a franking machine.
  • Such inkjet printing elements are commercially available to equip printers intended to be connected to a microcomputer. Range available such items is very varied. There are elements comprising 64 nozzles, 128 nozzles, etc. The number nozzles of such an element generally determines a dimension of the pattern that can be printed by it. Yes we take the example of an element with 256 nozzles having nozzles spaced 0.127 mm (1/200 inch) apart, the dimension of the pattern likely to be printed by this element is therefore 32.5mm. In the case of an element at 128 nozzles, the size of the printable pattern is 16.25mm for the same point density.
  • the postal motifs to be printed on folds with a franking machine must for example present a stamp height of 30mm. This dimension is imposed by the Postal Administration. It can vary from country to country other. To print such patterns, it is possible use multiple print items with 128 nozzles or 64 nozzles or a single element with 256 nozzles. In the two cases, the inkjet printing element (s) are mounted in a franking machine in such a way that their row of nozzles is arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the folds pass postage under the print head of the machine.
  • Each nozzle of an inkjet printing element is, for example, formed of two partitions made of a material piezoelectric. To eject an ink droplet of this nozzle, it suffices to deform the piezoelectric walls of the nozzle by applying an electric voltage thereto. If the 256 nozzles of such an element are numbered from B0 to B255, this element includes 257 piezoelectric partitions numbered from 0 to 256. Since 16 nozzles do not have to be excited, the partitions numbered 240 to 256 are not normally never excited by an electric voltage. he as a result the ink residing inside the B240 nozzles to B255 is never ejected.
  • the object of the invention is to remedy this disadvantage.
  • the invention relates to a machine franking comprising a jet print head ink including a row of nozzles in operation selectively under the control of a means of control in view to print a postal motif on a fold passing in front of the head printing, characterized in that only first nozzles consecutive rows of nozzles forming a subset separate nozzles of all the nozzles available in the row are put into operation by the control means for the printing of the postal motif and that the control means is further arranged to set operation of the other nozzles in the nozzle row, different from the first nozzles, in the absence of a fold in front of the print head to drain these seconds nozzles so as to avoid fouling during time.
  • an ink recovery tank is provided in the machine, this tank being arranged under the row of nozzles.
  • the control means is arranged to excite the nozzles B240 to B255 cyclically, as often as is necessary to avoid fouling, which is easy to be carried out by program.
  • the excitation of the nozzles B240 to B255 takes place from preferably in the time interval available after passing a fold in front of the print head and before passing a subsequent fold in front of the print head. This time interval is largely sufficient to perform such an operation, which does not disturb the processing normal postage and does not affect the franking rate of the machine.
  • control means is arranged to operate alternately different subsets of firsts nozzles, these sub-assemblies occupying positions offset at inside the set of nozzles available in the row of nozzles so as to excite over time all the nozzles in the nozzle row.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of an element inkjet printing machine having a row of nozzles.
  • Figure 2 schematically shows part of a franking machine having a jet print head ink.
  • Figure 3 illustrates the organization of the nozzles in the printhead.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the second embodiment of the invention.
  • a conventional inkjet printing element 1 is shown in Figure 1. It comes in the form a small box which is extended by a ramp 2 of nozzles 3.
  • the boom has 256 nozzles aligned on approximately 32.5mm, the space between two nozzles being 0.127 mm (1/200 inch).
  • This item is intended for be mounted in a print head of a machine postage to print a postal design designated by 4 in FIG. 1.
  • the postal motif has a dimension L2 of 30mm which is shorter than the length L1 of the row of nozzles 3 in the boom 2. We understand that only a part nozzles 3 are useful for printing a postal motif.
  • Figure 2 shows the franking machine inkjet printhead with printing element 1 which is part of the print head 20. It is mounted fixed on a support 21, for example a bracket, so as to overhang a guide plate 25 on which are moved in sequence, along arrow F, folds such as 24 so that one side of each fold passes under the nozzle ramp 2.
  • the folds are moved on the plate 25 by rollers, belts and counter rollers per se (not shown) forming part of the machine postage.
  • Printing element 1 is controlled by the electronics of the franking machine.
  • This electronics conventionally comprises a microprocessor 40, a program memory 41 and an interface 42.
  • the interface 42 is a register addressable by the microprocessor which contains 32 bytes into which the microprocessor loads temporarily 256 control bits respectively for 256 nozzles of printing element 1.
  • one bit at position 1 causes excitation of the nozzle which corresponds to it while a bit at position 0 prevents the excitement of this nozzle.
  • a nozzle When a nozzle is excited, it ejects a droplet of ink.
  • the postal motif printed by the nozzles on the fold can take various forms that fit, to simplify, in a rectangle having a width L2 of 30 mm and a length l2 of about 60mm.
  • the length L1 of the row of nozzles in boom 2 is therefore higher, by construction, at the width L2 of a pattern as indicated above.
  • the nozzle control then continues with starting again as for the first postage cycle.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Coating Apparatus (AREA)

Claims (7)

  1. Frankiermaschine mit einem Tintenstrahl-Druckkopf (20), der eine Reihe von Düsen (B0 bis B255) enthält, die selektiv unter Steuerung durch ein Steuermittel (40, 41, 42) zum Abdruck eines postalischen Motivs auf einen vor dem Druckkopf durchlaufenden Brief in Betrieb gesetzt werden, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß nur die ersten in der Reihe von aufeinanderfolgenden Düsen, die eine besondere Untereinheit von Düsen in der Gesamtheit von verfügbaren Düsen (B0 bis B255) der Reihe bilden, durch das Steuermittel für den Abdruck des postalischen Motivs betätigt werden und daß das Steuermittel außerdem so ausgebildet ist, daß die anderen Düsen (B 240 bis 255) der Düsenreihe, die nicht zu den ersten Düsen ( B0 bis B239) gehören betätigt werden, solange kein Brief vor dem Druckkopf vorliegt, um diese anderen Düsen zu entleeren und ihre Verkrustung im Lauf der Zeit zu vermeiden.
  2. Maschine nach Anspruch 1 mit einem Behälter (31), um die von den genannten anderen Düsen verspritzte Tinte aufzufangen.
  3. Maschine nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, in der das Steuermittel (40, 41, 42) so ausgebildet ist, daß diese anderen Düsen (B240 bis B255) zyklisch in dem zwischen dem Durchgang eines Briefs unter dem Druckkopf und dem Durchgang eines nachfolgenden Briefs unter dem Druckkopf verfügbaren Zeitintervall betätigt werden.
  4. Frankiermaschine mit einem Tintenstrahl-Druckkopf (20), der eine Reihe von Düsen (B0 bis B255) enthält, die selektiv unter Steuerung durch ein Steuermittel (40, 41, 42) zum Abdruck eines postalischen Motivs auf einen vor dem Druckkopf durchlaufenden Brief in Betrieb gesetzt werden, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß nur die ersten in der Reihe von aufeinanderfolgenden Düsen, die eine besondere Untereinheit von Düsen in der Gesamtheit von verfügbaren Düsen (B0 bis B255) der Reihe bilden, durch das Steuermittel für den Abdruck des postalischen Motivs betätigt werden und daß das Steuermittel so ausgebildet ist, daß es abwechselnd unterschiedliche Untereinheiten von ersten Düsen (B0 bis B239; B8 bis 247; B16 bis B255) betätigt, die innerhalb der Gesamtheit der in der Düsenreihe verfügbaren Düsen ( B0 bis B255) verschobene Positionen einnehmen, sodaß im Verlauf der Zeit alle Düsen der Düsenreihe angeregt werden.
  5. Maschine nach Anspruch 4, in der das Steuermittel (40, 41, 42) die Untereinheiten von ersten Düsen nach jedem Frankierzyklus wechseln.
  6. Maschine nach Anspruch 5, in der eine Adressenaddierschaltung (43) vorgesehen ist, die die Untereinheiten von ersten Düsen wechselt.
  7. Maschine nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6, in der weiter ein Zähler für jede Düse vorgesehen ist, der die Betätigungen dieser Düse zählt, um eine Warnmeldung zu erzeugen oder den Betrieb der Frankiermaschine zu blockieren, wenn einer dieser Zähler einen Schwellwert überschreitet.
EP95401566A 1994-08-08 1995-06-29 Frankiermaschine mit einem Tintenstrahldruckkopf Expired - Lifetime EP0696509B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9409804 1994-08-08
FR9409804A FR2723339B1 (fr) 1994-08-08 1994-08-08 Machine d'affranchissement comportant une tete d'impression a jet d'encre

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0696509A1 EP0696509A1 (de) 1996-02-14
EP0696509B1 true EP0696509B1 (de) 1998-09-02

Family

ID=9466160

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95401566A Expired - Lifetime EP0696509B1 (de) 1994-08-08 1995-06-29 Frankiermaschine mit einem Tintenstrahldruckkopf

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US6390577B1 (de)
EP (1) EP0696509B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69504441T2 (de)
FR (1) FR2723339B1 (de)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1782955A1 (de) 2005-11-02 2007-05-09 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Freispritzen eines Tintendruckkopfes
EP1782954A1 (de) 2005-11-02 2007-05-09 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Vorrichtung zur Reinigung eines Tintendruckkopfes
DE102006023542B3 (de) * 2006-05-19 2007-10-25 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Verfahren zum Freispritzen der Düsen eines Tintendruckkopfes
EP1857282A1 (de) 2006-05-19 2007-11-21 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Verfahren zum Freispritzen der Düsen eines Tintendruckkopfes
EP2065200A1 (de) 2007-11-30 2009-06-03 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Vorrichtung zum Reinhalten eines Tintendruckkopfes
EP2145769A2 (de) 2008-07-14 2010-01-20 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Anordnung zum Auswechseln von Tintendruckmodulen
US7959276B2 (en) 2006-07-21 2011-06-14 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Configuration for exchanging inkjet printing modules

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2766757A1 (fr) * 1997-08-01 1999-02-05 Secap Dispositif pour imprimer un signe et machine a affranchir le comportant
NL1010616C2 (nl) * 1998-11-20 2000-05-23 Ptt Post Holdings Bv Werkwijze en inrichtingen voor het afdrukken van een frankeerkenmerk op een document.
US6973433B2 (en) * 2000-02-23 2005-12-06 Frama Ag Franking machine
JP2003053941A (ja) * 2001-08-10 2003-02-26 Canon Inc インクジェット記録装置
US7289243B2 (en) * 2002-08-07 2007-10-30 Lexmark International, Inc. Apparatus and method for data compression optimized by print head architecture
US7111923B2 (en) * 2003-12-16 2006-09-26 Pitney Bowes Inc. Inkjet printing system for containment and evaporation of waste ink
JP2007015217A (ja) 2005-07-07 2007-01-25 Canon Inc インクジェット記録装置、インクジェット記録方法および予備吐出制御方法
DE102007060735B4 (de) 2007-12-17 2011-11-03 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Vorrichtung zum Freispritzen eines Tintenstrahldruckkopfes
US11860180B2 (en) * 2020-02-10 2024-01-02 Funai Electric Co., Ltd. Removable maintenance fluid holder

Family Cites Families (10)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3925789A (en) * 1971-12-16 1975-12-09 Casio Computer Co Ltd Ink jet recording apparatus
EP0081153B1 (de) * 1981-11-30 1987-05-20 Alsthom Elektrische Shuntdrosselspule
JPS63252748A (ja) * 1987-04-09 1988-10-19 Canon Inc 液体噴射記録装置の目詰り防止装置
GB8919917D0 (en) * 1989-09-04 1989-10-18 Alcatel Business Systems Franking machine
US5185615A (en) * 1990-04-11 1993-02-09 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ink jet recording method and apparatus for recovering ejection at a particular orifice by ejecting ink from adjacent orifices
US5051761A (en) * 1990-05-09 1991-09-24 Xerox Corporation Ink jet printer having a paper handling and maintenance station assembly
US5455615A (en) * 1992-06-04 1995-10-03 Tektronix, Inc. Multiple-orifice drop-on-demand ink jet print head having improved purging and jetting performance
SG47503A1 (en) * 1992-09-25 1998-04-17 Hewlett Packard Co Drop count-based ink-jet printer control method and apparatus
EP0919387B1 (de) * 1992-10-30 2003-08-27 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Tintenstrahldrucken
US5617122A (en) * 1992-12-10 1997-04-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Recording apparatus and method for controlling recording head driving timing

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7645021B2 (en) 2005-11-02 2010-01-12 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Method and device for spray cleaning an inkjet print head
EP1782954A1 (de) 2005-11-02 2007-05-09 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Vorrichtung zur Reinigung eines Tintendruckkopfes
DE102005052150A1 (de) * 2005-11-02 2007-05-24 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Vorrichtung zur Reinigung eines Tintendruckkopfes
DE102005052151B3 (de) * 2005-11-02 2007-05-31 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Vorrichtung zum Freispritzen eines Tintendruckkopfes
DE102005052150B4 (de) * 2005-11-02 2007-09-20 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Vorrichtung zur Reinigung eines Tintendruckkopfes
US7708376B2 (en) 2005-11-02 2010-05-04 Francotyp Postalia Gmbh Device for cleaning an inkjet printhead
EP1782955A1 (de) 2005-11-02 2007-05-09 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Freispritzen eines Tintendruckkopfes
EP1857283A1 (de) 2006-05-19 2007-11-21 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Verfahren zum Freispritzen der Düsen eines Tintendruckkopfes
EP1857282A1 (de) 2006-05-19 2007-11-21 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Verfahren zum Freispritzen der Düsen eines Tintendruckkopfes
DE102006023542B3 (de) * 2006-05-19 2007-10-25 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Verfahren zum Freispritzen der Düsen eines Tintendruckkopfes
US7959276B2 (en) 2006-07-21 2011-06-14 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Configuration for exchanging inkjet printing modules
EP2065200A1 (de) 2007-11-30 2009-06-03 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Vorrichtung zum Reinhalten eines Tintendruckkopfes
DE102007057819A1 (de) 2007-11-30 2009-06-04 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Vorrichtung zum Reinhalten eines Tintendruckkopfes
EP2145769A2 (de) 2008-07-14 2010-01-20 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Anordnung zum Auswechseln von Tintendruckmodulen
DE102008033052A1 (de) 2008-07-14 2010-01-28 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Anordnung zum Auswechseln von Tintendruckmodulen

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US6390577B1 (en) 2002-05-21
FR2723339B1 (fr) 1996-10-31
FR2723339A1 (fr) 1996-02-09
EP0696509A1 (de) 1996-02-14
DE69504441D1 (de) 1998-10-08
DE69504441T2 (de) 1999-02-04

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